


Nightmares

by iMattiebear



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Babies, Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Toddlers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-03
Updated: 2012-04-03
Packaged: 2017-11-03 00:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iMattiebear/pseuds/iMattiebear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn't asleep. The baby sitter was, but the three year old wasn't. Bro shut the door with his foot after entering an unlocked door. That wasn't very comforting, now as it? The pattering of feet sounded quietly as a three year old hurried into bed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've decided to post a story in a looooong time. Crit is always welcome, but be gentle. ; 3; <3  
> Thanks for reading!

He wasn't asleep. The baby sitter was, but the three year old wasn't. Bro shut the door with his foot after entering an unlocked door. That wasn't very comforting, now as it? The pattering of feet sounded quietly as a three year old hurried into bed. The noise was quickly followed by a few creaks from the sudden weight on the bed, no doubt Dave had just jumped into his bed. There was a bit of shuffling as he hurried under his covers and then it was quiet.

Dave hadn't learned how to be cool and ironic yet, let alone quiet in his actions. He still insisted on holding hands when crossing the road and being overall clingy, both on public and in the house. As Bro listened to the apartment Dave was obvious. From another room Bro could tell the child was holding his breath to listen.

"You can go." His voice was normal as he picked up the controller to turn the TV off.

Before the sitter was fully awake, she had been ushered out and paid for her time. Bro wondered how deserved the pay was, but showed no sign of it; instead he just closed the door behind the girl and locked the house up.

The club was always good about keeping Bro fed and hydrated, so he didn't need to stop in the kitchen tonight. As he passed each room, he shut off the lights. There weren't a lot of rooms, but if all the lights were on the electric bill was outrageous. He'd have to teach Dave to shut lights off.

There were two more lights to shut off. The bathroom and Dave's room. Bro shut off the bathroom first before pushing his brother's door open. For a bit he just stared into the room. After a moment he leaned against the door frame with arms crossed.

Through his shades he look over the room. The quick assessment gave Dave's activities away. He'd been coloring on the back of Bro's flyers. They were in need of a make over anyways. From the corner of his glasses Bro could see the blond peeking from the blankets. "Are you going to explain, li'l man?" The only indication that bro was looking at the boy was a small incline of a brow. A few seconds of silence passed.

If Dave wasn't going to talk to Bro maybe he would talk to Li'l Cal. A few flash steps later, there he was, chilling on one of the tables in the room for Dave's activities. Bro flash stepped again, this time to put Li'l Cal on the small lump of blankets. Dave wasn't going to pretend anymore as a shriek sounded. He flailed and wriggled, in any attempt to get away. Bro wasn't making it easy either; every time Dave thought he was free, Bro would step and readjust the puppet. It didn't last long before the boy broke and started crying.  
Anybody would melt at such tear filled eyes, including Bro. He really didn't want to hurt his brother and if Dave were faking he wouldn't have stopped, but those tears were real so he stopped quickly.

"You going to talk now?" Bro didn't show any sign of having moved or emotion toward the tears. After a moment of sniffling and watching, Dave finally shrugged. Now he wanted to be cool and standoffish. Naturally. He lifted his hands, reaching to be held. "Oh no. You're three. You're too old for that."

Dave deflated a bit as he dropped his arms. Without anything to cover his eyes, everything was obvious and showed through. Especially to the elder Strider who was quickly learning all the parental tricks when raising a infant. Especially now that Dave was getting older and tall enough to reach all the things he couldn't when he first learned how to walk. That look -- the one when Dave only looked at the ground while his fingers and toes fiddled in the blankets, gnawing on his bottom lip, the way his body was quivering with shaky breaths to hide that he was no doubt fighting tears -- meant he had a nightmare.

"What were you drawing?" If Dave didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't make him. Instead he walked to the flyers and looked them over. One was a face. Well half of a face. It was only the eyes, nose, and mouth. Not bad for a three year old. Another scribble was, well, a scribble. It had red eyes and was bloody everywhere. At least, that's what Bro was assuming the rest of the red was.

While he looked the drawing over he heard Dave crawl out of bed. Just as he noticed a bloody stick figure that almost blended in with the monster's side, Dave latched onto his leg. Bro smiled down at his brother before ripping the picture. He ripped around the face but crumpled the rest. With the crumpled paper balled in his hand and the smaller scrap held between his fingers, the elder blond lifted the younger up under his armpits. The years of caring for the squirt made him a pro at carrying a baby on his hip. So he did just that with Dave now. Dave nuzzled into Bro's shirt and clung to him however he could. 

Bro walked over to the window and opened it. He set he scrap of paper on his desk, but held the crumpled one out for Dave on the palm of his hand. When the child hid his face deeper in Bro's shirt, he was bounced in the hip he sat on. The boy looked at it the paper, knowing exactly what as on it. He knew what the other wanted, but was scared to touch it. After a stretch of silence Dave finally grabbed it. When he started to open it, Bro stopped him. "Throw it out the window." Of course the three year old was confused. But after another bounce, he leaned away from the body he clung to and toward the window. With some help from Bro they were closer to the window. Dave looked up at his brother for reassurance. When he got a nod he tossed it as hard and as far s he could, a small grunt of effort leaving his lips.

"Good job, Li'l Man. You don't have to be afraid of it anymore. The wind is going to carry it far, far way from here." Bro kissed Dave's head and closed the window and walked toward the bed again. "Next time your afraid just let your fear with the wind. It'll always be there to take away all your fears, okay?" Dave nodded, as if he really understood. Since Dave was still a child, he could get away with emotions. Once he was older, Bro would definitely try and change that. But for now, he wanted the boy to calm down and go to bed. Bro chuckled and set his brother on the bed, then turned to go get ready for bed. Even though he wasn't going to be gone for more than two minutes, Dave shot a hand out and gripped the back of his brother's shirt. He knew be didn't have to be scared, but he wasn't quiet over the nightmare yet.

Bro gently pried the hands away. "I'm just getting ready for bed." All he had to do was wash his face and brush his teeth. But the look Dave had as he let go was one of heartbreak with a side of fear. "Let me change at least." He could go one night without washing his face or even brushing his teeth. Dave nodded and crawled under the blankets, happier already.

Bro changed into a pair of loose shorts and took off his shirt before he set his hat and shades on the desk and crawled in next to Dave. Lately he'd been crashing on the couch, but Dave wasn't going to sleep without his brother nearby. Not that Bro minded, the couch could be uncomfortable. Before he was fulling under the blankets, Dave latched into his arm, hugging it close with both his arms and legs wrapped around the appendage. When Bro first found Dave he couldn't get used to how clingy he was, especially when he slept. For a while he barely got any sleep while Dave drooled away, but now he didn't mind; as long as Dave would sleep he didn't care.

Once comfortable, Bro moved so he could pet Dave's hair and rub his back. With each breath he felt the boy relax and eventually he drift off. Not far behind him, Bro yawned once before finally drifting off, hand stilling on Dave's head.


End file.
